Maintaining the status of Kotor on the UNESCO World Heritage List will depend on the state, which will have to make significant decisions in order to preserve that status, said the first man of that city, Vladimir Jokić.
Today, at the ceremonial session of the Municipal Assembly on the occasion of the celebration of Kotor Municipality Day on November 21, he said that Kotor's status on the UNESCO list, urbanization and endangerment of a unique universal value are issues that continue to burden Kotor.
"Staying or surviving Kotor on the UNESCO list is a matter of form, bureaucracy. Preservation of the unique universal value of cultural and natural heritage is a matter of essence. The area of Boka Kotorska is not ours, the area of Boka is the heritage of the world, of civilization, which we liked to keep," said Jokić in the Church of the Holy Spirit.
He said that the state must, together with the City, make a number of important decisions in order to maintain that status, "without additional interpretations, strict and consistent".
"Now it will be the State's turn. If we do anything to destroy that heritage, dear friends, we will not be removed from the UNESCO list, we will consciously and deliberately remove ourselves from the list of civilized nations," said Jokić.
According to him, the city administration will, in the coming period, participate in the adoption of the Spatial-Urban Plan of the Municipality, which, as he stated, will open the possibility for the construction of a hotel, the protection of the area and the lifting of the moratorium.
"The adoption of a new seven-year strategic plan for the development of the city, the purchase of real estate will enable solving the city's decade-long problems while improving traffic problems. "We will try to fight for the granting of a concession to the Port of Kotor, as well as the construction of a complete utility infrastructure for the first time on the Radanovići - Bigova route," announced Jokić.
He said that the priority of the city government, which was related to the reconstruction, rehabilitation and utilization of the ramparts, gave results.
"So far, we have invested over 300 euros in reconstruction and rehabilitation works, and with the new entrance fee policy, we have generated over a million euros in revenue. This fact opens up space for us to invest additional funds in this priceless resource of the City in the coming period and thus preserve what the whole world has recognized as part of its cultural heritage and included in the UNESCO list since last year," said Jokić.
He stated that the existing roads were reconstructed and new roads were built, throughout the territory of the Municipality, announcing that the works will be continued.
"More than 250 euros were invested in lighting on the territory of the City. Also, new water mains have been built or their construction is underway in Trojica and in Kavč, with a total value of over 600 thousand euros, and the replacement of the network in Dobrota, Daošine, Kamp, Sveti Stasi, Radanovići, part of Šišić and Risno has also been partially completed. worth over 350," said Jokić.
He announced that the utility company reduced its debt by over 400 thousand euros, while jointly with the municipality, as he stated, the fleet of the utility company was renewed with dedicated vehicles worth over 500 thousand.
"The Port of Kotor celebrated its 30th anniversary this year, and the management of the Port of Kotor, in cooperation with the local administration, as the majority owner, worked to create the conditions for granting the concession by the Government, so at the beginning of October, comprehensive documentation was submitted to the line ministry with a request for granting a concession to the Port of Kotor", said Jokić.
He assessed that the Municipality of Kotor, by increasing the allocation for culture, confirmed the title of the informal cultural capital of Montenegro.
"Festivals and festivities that took place in Kotor, as well as plays, exhibitions, concerts, made the city alive, a city tailored to the people. "By organizing New Year's celebrations, other events, promotion on foreign and domestic markets, the Tourism Organization of the Municipality of Kotor established our city on the tourist map of the Mediterranean," said Jokić.
He said that the Municipality signed a friendship agreement with Dubrovnik, Mostar and Ohrid, and that, as he announced, a protocol on cooperation with Antalya was also signed.
"We continued cooperation with sister cities, met new friends, hosted cities of the World Organization of Cultural Heritage Cities, established contacts with cities on the cruise lines such as Rhodes, Limassol, Corfu, with whom we will work on a joint destination management strategy," said Jokić.
He said that it is the duty of all citizens to be guided by the idea of the common good, in order to enable the prosperity of Kotor together.
"We have an obligation, greater than ever, to return to these dates, ideas and ideals that marked them, to try to understand and apply them today, not by simply passing them on, but by adapting these ideas to the time, context and space in which we live. "Only then will the City have hope for us, only then will the ideals of those who fell for freedom come true," said Jokić.
The President of the Kotor Municipality Assembly, Dragica Perović, announced that the commemoration of the 74th year since liberation represents the privilege of the current life of the city and the survival of its identity for generations to come.
"For all that Kotor is recognized on the map of Montenegro and the world, those who laid down their lives for the liberation of our city are responsible. "This is the day when Kotor survived and managed to continue its development with its tradition and culture for the benefit of all of us who live there, as well as all those who come to us as visitors," said Perović.
She said that Kotor is recognizable in all areas, as well as in many regional and international projects.
"He is a leader and partner in innovative ventures, who receives prestigious awards year after year. "It decently strengthens existing and improves new forms of cooperation, and tourist interest and the number of visits is increasing day by day," said Perović.
She pointed out that Kotor is rightly included in the UNESCO world heritage, as a natural and cultural asset, and that it is not without reason, as she said, that it is called the "Pearl of the Adriatic".
"That's why even in that poetic, Mediterranean thread there is a special shine, which positions our city in Europe on the world map. "Heritage, time flows and permeations, cultural diversity, customs and traditional values have greatly contributed to the fact that, in the times Kotor is in now, it tends to be even more prosperous for the population in the future," said Perović.
At the celebration of the Municipality Day, the prize "21. novembar" to Ilija Lalošević, for, as announced, engagement in the study, protection and presentation of the Kotor fortress, as well as for his personal contribution in the process of registering the Kotor fortress on the list of UNESCO's world cultural heritage, which happened at the end of last year.
The award was also awarded posthumously to Duško Bajlo Radević, a well-known hairdresser, educator and artistic director of "Revlon professional" for Montenegro.
Winner of the "21. November", Ilija Lalošević, said that the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments Kotor, although it does not exist today, in the institutional framework made a significant contribution to the preservation of world heritage.
"We should, in the national period, especially after the last registration of the Kotor fortress, as a special object entered in the list of world heritage, recover what we lost. It is also necessary to re-create a nucleus that will contribute to the preservation, protection and presentation of the Kotor fortress both professionally and scientifically," said Lalošević.
The telegram, on the occasion of the Municipal Day, was sent by the President of Montenegro, Milo Đukanović, and the Orthodox Archpriest, Archpriest Stavrofor of Bokokotor, Momčilo Krivokapić.
Bonus video:
